Is this how Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp will line The Reds up for the Merseyside derby at Everton this weekend?
Liverpool and Everton played out an extremely tight and tense game at Anfield back in early-December.
A 96th-minute winner from super-sub Divock Origi gave Liverpool a priceless 1-0 victory and started Klopp’s men on an eight-game winning streak in all competitions.
2019 has proved a tougher proposition so far for Liverpool, however. Yet, on Wednesday night, Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah and co looked to have regained much of their swagger in their 5-0 drubbing of Watford.
The derby is a different animal, though. That old cliché of the form book going out the window? Well, it can happen.
Everton have been struggling, despite their 3-0 win at lowly-Cardiff during the week. But you can be guaranteed they’ll be up for this one, just as they were for the Anfield game almost three months ago.
Liverpool managed without Roberto Firmino against Watford but it’s likely our number 9 will return for this weekend’s Goodison Park encounter.
I expect Naby Keita to start at Everton alongside Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum in midfield.
Joel Matip, thankfully, has really stepped up to the plate in Joe Gomez’s absence so he should continue in central defence beside Virgil van Dijk. Trent Alexander-Arnold will be given the opportunity to build on his fantastic Watford performance at right-back with Andy Robertson on the other flank. Alisson, of course, will be in goal.
Up front, it should be back to normal with Salah, Firmino and Mané back together. Divock Origi did a fine job deputising for Firmino against Watford. His performance and goal on Wednesday night will do his confidence no harm and he will be ready to go if called upon form the bench on Sunday.
Liverpool’s predicted lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk(c), Robertson; Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mané
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